Grover Huffman IC Group Buy

[stereofool]

WooHoo   !

Thanks for the update, Rich.

[richidoo]

All sent! Hope you enjoy them! In a few more weeks we will have another go round.
Rich

[mdconnelly]

Whoa!   Got my Grover XLR ICs and I am impressed.   I'm running them between my Tact pre and McCormack amp.   In truth, I don't know if the significant improvement is due to the Grovers or switching to XLR balanced ICs from RCA single ended Pulsars.  I've always wanted to give balanced ICs a try but until this weekend, I was a balanced virgin.  

As much as I love switching cables endlessly in order to discern what the differences are (NOT!), I can say that the Grover XLRs have found a permanent home.    I think what strikes me most is a better defined, more 3D soundstage with nothing but blackness between instruments and voices.  In particular, the mids - particularly vocals - are really compelling.

[stereofool]

Depending on the components involved sometimes balanced/XLR outputs WILL produce better sound.

Thanks for your comments...I've got a couple of pair of the balanced and SE cables coming. I'm looking forward to 'playing' with them   !

[richidoo]

I was a balanced virgin.

Mike you're lucky today is Sunday and I am on my best behavior. That is a setup if I have ever seen one.    (Glad you like your cables.)

[shep]

I'm down to the last stick of celery. The mailman doesn't understand why I'm sleeping in the mailbox. But YOU know why...

[stereofool]

Grover Huffman IC's

I told myself I was going to wait until all cables had 'burned-in'...but we all know how that goes...when we have new toys to play with   . If they improve with more time, then that's just icing on the cake!

Tracks:

Diana Krall: All For You
2 Gee Baby, Ain't I Been Good to You
7 Hit That Jive Jack
8 You're Looking At Me

Paul Simon: Rhythm of the Saints
2
3

A number of others...with me just listening to the music/performance, and not trying to hear anything going on. In other words...just enjoying the music, for its own sake.

First impression(s)...(no burn in).

Starting point...1m XLR, between CD and pre-amp...replacing Harmonic Tech ProSilway MkIII.

Easy/relaxed presentation...no barriers to the 'music'...I completely got lost in the performance(s).
Better inter-transient silence...allowing revelation of finer (more subtle) details.
Improved attack...i.e. hearing the leading edge of a note better (e.g. of a plucked string).
Deeper or more defined bass.

Second...addition of 1.5m XLR between pre-amp and amp...replacing Harmonic Tech ProSilway MkIII.

All of the above...with additional depth and width (somewhat recording dependent).
Improved imaging...more specific placement/separation (within space) of instruments and/or performers.

Actually, they even made some 'modern' recordings more listenable. Whereas the 'modern' recordings were normally one 'flat' wall of sound...the Grover's breathed some depth into them...usually with the singer placed further back in the sound field (not so much in your face).

I wasn't looking to make any changes, in my system, until a g2g (at Richidoo's)...sparked my interest...after we did a very quick comparison by throwing in a set of Grover's previous cables. We could hear an immediate difference there...and I could too...once I got my own to play with.

Am I happy with my purchase...YES   !

Well done, Grover  =D>  =D> !

[jrebman]

Quick update:

Demo cables arrived in Colorado last evening.  I had other commitments so only just put one set in between my stock Denon 2910 and my modded Minimax preamp.  Unfortunately, there is no way I can stretch a 1 meter cable to reach from the preamp to the Signature 70 amps, so I'll just have to do with this one pair in place.

First impressions are very positive, and despite my thinking there would be small differences between these and the Realitys currently in place (Anti-ICs between pre and amps), I have to say the differences were pretty significant and positive.  I'll explain more later when I've gone through enough different kinds of material, but bottom line is that I really, really wish I could put these btween pre and amps for the full effect.

Over the next couple of days I will also try them with a variety of NOS tubes in the preamp -- all of which whose sonic signatures I know well by now -- CBS/Hytron, Mullard, Bugle Boy -- my top 3, and maybe a few more as time permits.

More to come...

-- Jim

[shep]

shep got his Grovers today! Woopy! Thanks all (Rich esp.) Now for a good old listen. God they are a tight it...I don't know if I can ever get them   off again

[shep]

Couldn't resist...ok take a 15 year old hi-end Straight Wire Maestro out of the line. Put in a new pair; totally dif. conception and construction. Know that it will take days or weeks to burn in fully. Put on a cd I know well; Herbie Hancock "Gershwin"s World", excellent recording. What do I hear?
A  bit of glaze to the piano and horns. This will disappear. Slight edginess.
Excellent dynamics, good attack. The sound stage is slightly more forward. I see further into the back and the corners so there is more micro-information. Bass has a nice bite, good weight. Treble is easy and non aggresive. Obviously these are very good wires. The are less even-handed than the Straight W. but more interesting, informative. My experience telles me to expect a 20% improvement with time, maybe more. Nothing but music happening. Happy camper. I'll get back on this when they go past the 100 hour mark. ps more holographic
I know what I'm hearing that's different, the Silver! not used to it's signature...actually edgy was not the right term, more like "green", as in green wood, a tiny bit raw. This is a characteristic of every new piece. Op amps are the same, even worse at first. Atoms have to allign.

[Carlman]

Woohoo!!! Congrats, Shep.  Listen to them critically again in a week, and then again a week after... they relax a bit as (I think) you're expecting.
-C

[shep]

Thanks for initiating this Carl. Nice and smooth, just like the forum is turning out.

[Phil]

After burning in the cable for more than 50 hours, I compared Grover Huffman's new (white) S cable against his first iteration S cable (very fine cables).  To my ears, the newest version perfects the design:  totally transparent top to bottom; natural and organic; unforced detail retrieval. 

I listened at 40 hours and didn't find much difference with the first iteration Grovers.  But 10 hours later, the cables opened up with astonishing musicality -- there is so much more music making on my CDs.

At this price (even at many mutlitples of this price) and a money back guarantee, I hope more folks give these a try.  Happy listening.

Phil